Star Matter and Sunsets
We say our own names when we pray
We go out for sweets and come back
We are the heroes of this epic
The ones who outsmart the cyclops
But our blood is gold and everyone comes home.
The sky is violet
And the houses have silver roofs
There are gardens of nebulae and baby galaxies
And we water them with star matter
We cry sunsets for those lost
But they are reborn again
Reborn softer.
Every first Sunday of the month
Our childhoods crash into us in waves
Memories playing in floating bubbles
Rising from the seafoam
The painful ones bursting before
Any soul can see them
We wish to trap them, but they are mortal
Like everything else, even in here
This paradise exists in our mind
Or perhaps it exists somewhere else
Where kisses feel like a summer breeze
And there’s a tint of melancholy in the air
Enough to feel
But not feel too much.
There are an infinite amount of Gods
Or maybe none at all
Maybe we pray for ourselves
And the love we receive and give back
Maybe the air smells like fresh fruit
And the candy is only a dime
And happiness is given and taken for free
What made you write your poem, and how does it relate to your experiences during the pandemic?
I was inspired by Danez Smith’s poem, “summer, somewhere”. I took a couple lines from their poem and used the lines to begin my poem. From there, I built off of it. I wanted to write a poem that represented an ideal world for anyone who wanted an escape from the one we live in right now. One completely removed from this reality, where fantastical things can happen. In a time when we are facing a lot of tragedy and injustice, it’s nice to imagine, in theory, a perfect world.
What do you want people to know about what you’ve endured this year?
I’ve been very fortunate to have a close family and good friends. The hardest part of quarantine has been adjusting to the isolation that everyone feels, even those living with other people.
There’s a sense of community that you feel when you’re with others, even strangers, such as when you’re trying to walk through a crowd or wait in line. There’s been a major shift in the way we see crowds.
I’m in remote learning/virtual school right now, and it’s been really hard on all the students and teachers. We’re sitting in front of a screen for eight hours a day and then we need to do homework on the computer afterward. I’ve found it to be much more draining than in-person school, both mentally and emotionally.
However, I’ve been able to reconnect with friends from different high schools online. Although we are living in isolated times, I’ve been lucky to still be social.
How has writing helped you this year?
Writing has helped me ground myself and analyze how I’ve been feeling. I’ve been able to express my emotions in ways that I didn’t before. I’ve also enjoyed being more creative and using fun ways to describe certain imagery! It’s also been a good way to connect to other creative friends and share poetry with each other. I hope to write more this year and in the future!
What do you hope a post-COVID world will look like?
There won’t be a “going back to normal” because so much has changed. My hope is that a vaccine will allow us to return to school, work, and our friends and family. I hope that we’re able to go to concerts and big gatherings, safely, again.
